Flowers for Your Grave
by AlpineMarmot
Summary: Roxas' always thought of himself as normal. But when he starts seeing dead people, his seemingly crazed behavior earns him a one-way ticket to Oblivion, a group home for disturbed teens. Or is Oblivion what it seems…? AU AkuRoku
1. Prologue: Thirteen Years Earlier

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything nor do I make any money from this fanfic. Seriously.

**A/N:** Hello everybody!…I don't know what else to say. Oh, sorry that this is just the prologue. I'm going to update the first chapter soon. It's going to be longer, I promise. And if there are mistakes, well, English is not my native language so…yeah. :D Sorry. Enjoy!

**P.S. **this fic is loosely based on Kelley Armstrong's book 'the Summoning', if someone is wondering. :)

**Flowers for Your Grave**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Thirteen years earlier… <span>**

– / –

Mom told me to never go into the cellar. And when she said never, she really meant never.

But she forgot to tell that to my new babysitter.

"Roxas?" Anna's voice drifted up from the cold cellar. "Your mommy said that your juice's in here, but I can't find it. Can you come here and help Anna?"

My legs were shaking badly and my arms shook, too, so much that I could barely hang on to the railing.

I closed my eyes and tried to breathe normally, thinking hard. Before Mom and Dad left for the party, I'd been watching TV in the living room. Mom had picked me up to a hug, laughing.

"Bye darling, be nice to Miss Anna, 'kay?" Mom whispered to my ear. "Sora's already sleeping and Cloud spends his night at a friend's house so it's just you and Miss Anna."

"Rox will be fine." Dad said as he ruffled my hair. "Right, buddy?"

And then they were gone. Leaving me with Anna.

"Roxas, I know you are there," Anna yelled. "Roxas!"

"I'm n-not a-allowed to g-go in the c-cellar," I called weakly.

"It's okay; I just gave you permission. You're already a big boy."

My throat was dry and I felt like the darkness was going to swallow me. I made my feet move down one step.

"Roxas Strife, come down now or I will drag you and trust me, you don't want that."

I swallowed. I took another step down.

"_I won't hurt you. Come here, come here little one…" _

That wasn't Miss Anna. That wasn't her voice.

"_No sense of hiding…I'll always find you in the end." _

"A-anna?" I whispered. Everything looked fuzzy, like I was going to cry. "M-miss Anna?"

"Come on, silly child. You aren't afraid of the dark, are you?" Anna laughed. "I guess you're still mommy's little baby after all."

I was finally standing at the bottom of the stairs. I could see the cellar door, so I kept my eyes on it and walked as fast as I could. "Anna?"

"I'm here, Roxas. Come here." Anna's muffled voice called through the door.

I reached my hand to the knob and yanked the door open. Inside, it was pitch black.

"Roxas?" Anna called from the darkness.

I was scared. So, so scared.

"…_where are you? Tell me where you are." _

"Roxas? Roxas honey, where are you?" It was Anna's voice, but far away, high pitched. Her footsteps pounded across the floor overhead. "Roxas!"

She was upstairs. She wasn't here. But if she wasn't here, then who called me? Who was here with me?

"_I've got you." _

I turned around slowly. There, standing bottom of the stairs stood a man in a black coat. His eyes glittered in the dark as he stared at me. He opened his mouth to show me his razor shaped teeth and the glistening saliva that dripped hungrily from his mouth.

"I've got you, Little One."


	2. Haunted in Death

**Disclaimer: **Yeah, still don't own anything.

**Warnings: **Dead people, over-eager Kairi and…more dead people. And of course, my terrible grammar. *Coughs* XD

**A/N: **May I present you: chapter one! Hurray! *Clap clap*

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter One: Haunted in Death<strong>

– / –

"NO!" I opened my eyes, panicked, and stared at the ceiling. I struggled to recapture wisps of the dream already fluttering away. Something about a cellar…a babysitter…a little boy…and a razor shaped teeth.

I couldn't remember. We didn't even have a cellar – we'd always lived in apartments…but…

A little boy in a cellar, something scary… someone calling. A man...?

A knock at my bedroom door made me bolt up in bed.

"Roxas?" Cloud's muffled voice came through the door. "Are you okay? I heard you scream."

"Yeah!" I shouted him. "I'm okay. Just a bad dream."

"Well hurry up or you're going to be late for school."

"It was just a nightmare," I said aloud to myself, voice low and rough. "Just a nightmare." Then I sighed and crawled out of bed.

– / –

Twenty minutes later I was wearing my favorite black, high-collared jacket, dark blue jeans and gray sneakers. I also wore a wrist band with a black-and-white checkerboard pattern on my left wrist, as well as a plain black ring on my left index finger and a plain white ring on my left middle finger. My spiky golden blonde hair looked as if wind had swept it and my bright eyes looked as blue as ever.

My style made me look ten years old…ten years old emo kid who had a hair like an angel and troll. 16 years old and servers still handed me the kid's menu in restaurants. Couldn't blame them, though. I was really, really short. Cloud swore to me that I'd grow…but he said that also to Sora, who was a year older than me, and he was just as tall as I was.

I ran my fingers hastily through my hair, grabbed my backpack and opened the door. First thing I heard was my brother's voice.

"But Clouuud! You're not even listening to me, are you? Uh, why do I even bother?"

"That's the same question I ask myself every day."

In the kitchen, Sora was eating cereal at the kitchen table, and my oldest brother Cloud was burning something on the stove. He was already wearing his police uniform. Cooking policeman, huh?

"I was just saying Cloud, that that uniform looks nice. I'm sure Tifa will be happy. She said you look hot in it," Sora laughed. "So are you listening to me now?"

It was funny to see Cloud's turning as red as the apples on the kitchen table.

"Sora! Leave our poor big brother and his soon-to-be wife alone," I laughed as I stepped into the kitchen.

"But it's true, she did! She told me that she loves a guy in uniform and hello, Cloud's wearing one right now!"

Cloud made strange choking noises. "Sora, hush! And Roxas, she's not my "soon-to-be wife". She's my friend."

"Riiiight," both Sora and I said at the same time.

My oldest brother Cloud was the sort of man who always looked serious; he had spikey blond hair, fine face and a striking blue eyes. He was also really sarcastic. But on the other hand, so was I. He had a good-natured humor and was really protective of Sora and me. I thought he was also very cool sometimes.

My second oldest brother, Sora, was nothing like Cloud or I. He was positive and therefore highly optimistic. He had a strong sense of justice and he really cared what other people thought about him. Sora had spiky brown hair along with baby blue eyes, and his skin was also tanner than mine or Cloud's.

"And 'cause I didn't say it yet, I say it now: good morning, everybody. Sorry that I don't have time for breakfast," I stated.

Cloud gave me a long stare. "You tell me that I spend my whole morning making you breakfast and you don't even have time to eat it?"

"Isn't that what Rox just said?" Sora mumbled a mouth full of cereal. "And besides, you don't want to give him food poisoning, right? 'Cause whatever you're making, it's burning."

"Sora, don't speak with your mouth full!"

"I'm really sorry Cloud, but sure you don't want me and Sora to be late again, right?" I gave him an angelic smile.

He just stared at me. It was his time to say "right".

– / –

Sora and I took the stairs, as usual. We did it every morning, racing down the stairs until we reached the bottom, I panting and Sora giggling. When we were younger our mother held our hands and we raced together, the three of us. But when I started third and Sora fourth grade, well, there was just Sora and I left. There wasn't "the three of us" anymore.

Our parents died in a car crash. Luckily, Cloud had been old enough to take care of us, so me and Sora didn't have to go to an orphanage.

I touched gently at my moonstone necklace under my jacket. It was the only thing I had left from my mother.

Cloud was already waiting us in his police car. He was the lazy one (ironic because he's a policeman) and took elevator every day. But when he really wanted to, he moved like a bolt.

The sky overhead wasn't blue; it was cloudy and really gray looking. It made me a little grumpy. Clouds always made me hope that I could see sky…and when the sun was shining I wished it would start raining. I was really difficult person.

As we got in, Cloud adjusted the visor.

"Hope it's not gonna rain tonight," he said after we left the parking lot. "I really hate when it rains."

"And your name's Cloud?" Sora laughed.

Cloud scowled. "So? The name is Cloud, not Rain. Clouds don't have to rain. They can just…glide," he ended lamely.

"Of course, **cloud**s can just, krhm, glide." Sora was laughing harder.

"Sora, leave Cloud alone," I said smiling and added, "If he likes gliding, it's his business."

"Roxas! Please, not you too."

"Sorry," I laughed.

Sora and Cloud started talking about some school stuff and I used the opportunity to look out of the side window. There was brown haired little girl standing beside the road. She was wearing a yellow sleeveless dress, even if it was already pretty cold outside and was holding a red balloon on her right hand. Suddenly she just leaped off the sidewalk, landing right between us and the next car.

"Cloud!" I screamed. "Watch out – "

I slammed painfully against my shoulder belt.

"Roxas? What's wrong? You really scared me," Cloud said. Sora was moaning on the backseat.

"I – there was…" I looked over the hood of the car and saw…nothing. No body, no blood. Nothing.

"I thought I saw…never mind."

– / –

My school, Twilight High, was one of the best schools at Twilight Town. That was how decisions-makers lured people into our town; the best education possible for their children.

I was halfway to my friend Olette's locker when I heard a voice calling after me.

"Roxas! Roxas, wait!"

It was Kairi, Sora's best friend. I knew she'd a huge crush on Sora, but like she knew, Sora was gay. She and the whole school knew, really. So that's why she decided I was pretty good-looking too.

She fell into step beside me, so close her hand touched mine. "Morning."

"Morning."

Kairi was usually very cheerful and upbeat. She had dark red hair and beautiful violet-blue eyes. She was really pretty, I guess. But she just didn't interest me like that.

"So…" she started, "how was your weekend?"

"It sucked. Sora made me and Cloud watch _Finding_ _Nemo_ again."

"Oh. Well…It's a pretty good movie, right?"

"Hng, yeah, I guess it is."

Our talk was getting **really** awkward.

"Roxas?" familiar soft voice called.

I glanced over to see Olette at her locker. She looked from me to Kairi, looking puzzled. I mouthed "Save me," and her soft peach-colored face lit up in a grin.

"Oh, there you are, Roxas. I promised you would show your history essay to Hayner, he didn't get his own finished. And did you read that chapter we supposed to? I tried, but – " Her bright green eyes widened as if she'd just noticed that Kairi was standing next to me. "Ah, Kairi, hi! I'm sorry but I have to steal Roxas. I really need him right now."

Olette tugged my arm, pulling me away from her. "So, I said to Pence…"

She continued babbling for another minute, and then finally glanced over her shoulder.

"Aaaaand she's gone."

"Thanks, Olette. I don't understand what does she sees in me. I mean, I know I'm not hideous but I'm not exactly handsome either."

"That's not true; I think you're looking absolutely handsome today. If I wasn't going out with Pence I would be making out with you right now."

"I'm really happy to hear that," I said dryly. "Who cares about homework when one of your best friends' wishes to make out with you front of the whole school?"

"Ha-ha, very funny Rox."

– / –

I just couldn't stop thinking about that little girl on the sidewalk. Who was she and how'd she just vanished? It was bugging me.

"Oh, come on," Hayner said as we were walking towards the cafeteria. "Your mind just created something not real because you haven't slept enough lately."

It was already lunchtime. Hayner was trying to make me convinced that what I saw was just a hallucination and Olette and Pence were talking about something not important behind us.

Hayner had brown eyes, light skin and spiky, blond hair. He was really impulsive and determined sometimes, but he was still my closest friend. Pence on the other hand were a good-humored boy with an even temper and he was close to Olette like a brother. This was weird because they're dating. And Olette – she had this tomboy attitude that mixed with her happy-go-lucky attitude and that made her fit in our team.

"Yeah, maybe you're right," I said.

"I'm always right," Hayner snorted.

"No you're not."

"Yes I am."

"Not."

"Yes!"

"Not!"

"Boys, shut up!" Olette finally cried out. Pence just rolled his eyes.

I smiled at her and checked my watch. "Oh shit, I promised Sora that I would see him at his locker. I catch you guys' later, 'kay?" And with that I ran away.

When I arrived at Sora's locker he wasn't there. I thought that he had probably forgotten and I should just call him. When I started to search my cell I heard noise. Something thumped. Then I heard someone's voice.

"Hello, little boy. You can see me, can't you?"

I spun to see a man walking toward me.

He looked absolutely terrifying; he had a dry-as-bone corpse body and his left eye was bulged, exposed. His left hand looked like somebody had crushed it with hammer. His mouth was little open, showing his rotten teeth.

The twisted lips parted more. "Oh, you **can** see me. Great, now we can talk. Just you and me, boy."

_"No sense of hiding…I'll always find you in the end…"_

* * *

><p>Oh dear. The boogeyman. And a cliffhanger! :D Hope I didn't make too much mistakes. I'm now too tired to check. I just wanna curl up in bed.<p>

Reviews are welcomed. I think...*checks*...oh yeah, they are. XD


	3. Deep in Death

**Disclaimer: **…No, I don't own anything. Nada.

**Warnings: **Beware of boogeymen, people! (Meaning: dead people/ghosts)

**A/N: **Guess what? Axel and the gang are going to make their first appearance soon. Not in this chapter, though. This chapter is more about Roxas' inner turmoil; am I crazy or not, dear mommy in heaven? Oh, and I wanna **thank you all** who gave their time to review. You guys rock! Hope you like this chappy. XD

**P.S. **From now on I will put the chapter songs at the beginning of every chapter. You don't have to listen to them, but they kind of set the mood I'm trying to create. :D

**Chapter Song: **Slipped away by Avril Lavigne

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Two: Deep in Death<strong>

– / –

I was running. I was running as fast as I could. The only sound I heard was my own footsteps. I ran and ran and ran. I heard someone's voice calling after me, but I just kept running.

"You can't escape from me, you know. I just want to talk to you. I'm not gonna hurt you, so please boy, stop running," the corpse man yelled. "Just talking, that's all you have to do!"

I ran along the hall.

"You're really selfish, you know that?" His voice was getting closer.

I ran into the cafeteria, ignoring the people I had to push out of my way. I didn't stop running until I saw Olette, Pence and Hayner, sitting on our usual table.

"What happened? You look like you've seen a ghost," Hayner laughed. "Was it Kairi again?"

Somehow, that joke wasn't so funny anymore.

– / –

Kairi's brother Reno drove me and Sora home after the school ended. Reno's hair was also red, like Kairi's, just little lighter and longer, and he had two symmetrical red tattoos on his cheek bones. He had really cocky attitude, but otherwise he was a really nice guy.

I was sitting on the backseat with Sora and Kairi. Reno had only one rule for us, and that was: no little termites on the passenger seat. And when he said "little termites", he meant us.

Sora was explaining something to Kairi, but I didn't know what because I was too lost in my own thoughts to find out. I heard only the rain patter against the car window. Cloud wouldn't be pleased. He really didn't like when it rained. And I knew the reason why; when our parents had died it had rained. Cloud usually didn't even want to drive in rainy weather.

Mom. Her arms around me, her beautiful ringing laughter – I would never feel or hear her again.

Death was end. The final end of life.

Or was it?

That corpse man surely didn't seem to be alive. He was really, really dead. No one normal couldn't have walked in that condition. And when I had glanced over my shoulder in the cafeteria, he hadn't been there anymore. He'd just vanished. Just like that little girl with her red balloon.

Was I going crazy? Did I have a nervous breakdown?

I saw and heard people that nobody else could see. Maybe I really was hallucinating like Hayner had said, 'cause I haven't slept enough lately. Thanks to the stupid dreams I saw every night.

Yeah, I wasn't crazy. I was just super tired and imagined things.

"Roxas! Snap out of it, we're home." Sora's cheerful voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I just stared at him. He had perfect white teeth, a big goofy smile and twinkling eyes. I couldn't be crazy, just couldn't. What would happen to that innocent boy if he would lose his little brother too, like he had lost his parents?

I didn't even want to know how awful it would be to my brothers if I really was going crazy.

– / –

After I had heated up some milk for hot chocolate, I curled up with a blanket on our couch. Cloud would be home after ten, and Sora was playing video games in his room. My mind was racing too much to sleep, even if I wanted to. I'd seen two persons that nobody else could see. The first one had looked normal, but she had jumped front of our car, and that's so **not** normal. The second one had been scarier, like he had jumped out of a horror movie.

Oh bloody hell.

"You're sure you don't wanna play with me?"

I raised my blue eyes up into Sora's identical ones. "Yes, Sora, I'm sure."

"Pretty sure or really sure?"

"Really sure."

"Oh, okay. I just wanted to make sure," he sighed, giving me a crooked smile. "Wanna watch the first _Narnia_ with me?"

"I don't really like that movie; the White Witch is horrible. She's really mean and cruel even to her own servants."

"I'm sure she just had a really difficult childhood," Sora said. "You know, people usually take their suppressed pain out of everybody else."

"Sora, it's just a movie. She's an actress, not a real person."

Sora was looking at me, puzzled. "Of course she's real! She's a breathing, living creature like you and me. No need to be a racist, Rox. Actors and actresses are humans too!"

"I meant – never mind." I sighed. "I just don't like her character."

"I do!" Sora grinned to me. "I think she's really beautiful and nice! Doesn't she have, like, flowers in her hair and birds singing around her, and rabbits and deer and a couple of mouse doing her laundry?"

"Sora," I sighed again. "That's Snow White, not the White Witch."

"Oooh, they're not the same person? But they are both White!"

I didn't know why I even bother. Sometimes I really hated Sora for being so thick-headed. "Sora, Snow White's beautiful and nice and the White Witch is mean and cruel. You got it now?"

Sora looked thoughtful for a moment. Then he smiled. "Wanna play with me?"

_Oh hell. _

– / –

My arms and legs felt amazingly light, tingly and warm, like I had just slipped into a hot spring. I could feel the sun caressing gently my skin and I felt a light breeze ruffle my hair–

Wait, what?

I opened my eyes. I was staring up at a light, which surprisingly didn't hurt my eyes. I sat up quickly. I was sitting in the middle of a field. Everywhere I looked, I saw flowers.

"_Hello, my child. Welcome to the Land of Dead, a place where dead souls that didn't cross over, stay."_

I turned around and felt a jolt of electric shock. A beautiful blonde woman in a blue linen dress was sitting next to me, a woman I knew almost too well. After all, she was my mother.

"M-mom? B-but…you're dead!" I blurted.

She chuckled. _"Yes my dear, I am indeed dead. Like I just said, this is the Land of Death."_

"No, this…this can't be! I'm not dead…am I?"

She laughed her ringing laugh; the one I loved so much. _"No Roxas, you're not dead."_

"But…how? If I'm not dead then why am I in the Land of Dead?" I asked, puzzled. She just smiled at me. _"I don't know darling. I'm here because you're here. I wouldn't be here if you hadn't summoned me. I had wished that you would know what __**we**__ are __doing here."_

I stared at her. "I summoned you? No, I– That's not possible. I was playing a video game with Sora, and then suddenly, I woke up here. Or maybe I didn't wake up. Maybe I'm still sleeping. That would explain a lot."

My mother kept smiling. _"Of course your body is sleeping. Your mind_ _wouldn't be here if you'd be awake."_

"Mom, I– Wait did you just say that my mind is here? Not my body? So this is all happening inside my head?"

"_Yes and no. Mind can't survive without body but body can survive without mind." _

That really didn't make any sense to me. How the body could survive without a mind?

"_Of course, if you lose your mind, there's no joy of be alive anymore. You lose your purpose and that's not nice. What I meant was, that if you don't have a body anymore, there's no place for your mind to go back to. Like me, example. My body was destroyed in a car crash and therefore, my mind didn't have a place to be anymore, so I died. You are alive, because you have a body for your mind to go back to, even if your mind is now here with me. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?" _

"No... Not really, no. But it doesn't matter, right Mom? The point is that I'm not really dead and I can talk to you again, even if **you** are dead." I was really confused, but I didn't really care about anything else than the fact that I was sitting next to my mother again. Mother, who had died in a car crash when I was little.

"_Oh, but our time is running out, I see. Somebody's trying to wake up your body," _mother stated, calmly._ "Like I said, your body can survive without your mind. But it can't wake up without it." _She was staring at my body. I glanced down – only to see that my body was fading. _"Just before you go, dear, I have one question for you." _

I raised my blue eyes back to hers. "Anything Mom, you can ask me anything."

She gave me her brightest, kindest smile. _"Do you still have the moonstone necklace I gave to you?" _

– / –

_Na na, na na na, na na_

_I miss you, miss you so bad_

_I don't forget you, oh it's so sad_

_I hope you can hear me_

_I remember it clearly_

The words of the song floated through my mind. I curled up on my side, sighing, as I rubbed my cheek against the fluffy pillow. Unfortunately, moving my body caused an ugly pain shoot through my back.

_The day you slipped away_

_Was the day I found it won't be the same_

"What am I going to do with you two?"

I blinked my blurry eyes open to see Cloud standing beside the sofa, where apparently Sora and I had fallen asleep after six hours playing video games. No wonder my back was a little sore. Sora in turn was still snoring lightly on my left side, almost pushing me down off the sofa. My blanket was lying forgotten beneath us.

"You two gonna be late for school, **again**, if you don't hurry up," Cloud said and rolled his eyes. "But then again, that wouldn't be anything new."

…_I didn't get around to kiss you_

_Goodbye on the hand_

_I wish that I could see you again_

_I know that I can't._

– / –

Great. Just great. I just wanted to be normal, live like any other teenager – pass math, keep my grades up so I could get accepted into the Twilight College, and after that, move out of Twilight Town. But most of all, I wanted to fit in – at least at school.

But no, of course not. Life can't be that easy, right?

A little ghost girl jumping front of Cloud's car, a corpse man chasing after me and of course, my little chat with my dead mother. Not very normal, eh?

It was lunchtime and I was standing at an empty restroom, looking into the mirror. A familiar stranger looked back at me. He had my blue eyes and my hair – spiky and blond. The stranger had also my high cheekbones, little nose and cupid's curve lips (I got them from my mother). The fluorescent lightning made him look really pale. He was me, but he also wasn't. He looked so lost, his eyes round and terrified.

So that's how crazy people looked like; lost and scared.

I ran my fingers quickly through my hair and hurried out of the restroom. As the door shut behind me, all went silent. An empty hall.

"You, boy!"

I spun to see the same man I saw day before; dry-as-bone corpse body man. He was just standing in the middle of the lobby, staring at me. "I – I have to go…" I said. "I…am already late, excuse me." I started walking.

"Roxas?"

It was Kairi. She had just walked out of the ladies room, and she was staring at me. "Who were you talking to?"

Many things happened at the same time. The corpse man turned his gaze on Kairi and smirked at me, before attacking her. I started running towards them as Kairi started screaming, not knowing what hit her. I heard other voices but I didn't mind them. I tried to hit the corpse man so I could get Kairi away from him, but I didn't even get a hold of him before I felt a shock of energy passing me by. It hurt so much that I had to scream. I fell back, doubled over, wheezing.

When I opened my eyes I saw the corpse man standing over me. "Hey, kiddo, are you okay? Will you listen to me now?"

I screamed and tried to get up, but suddenly my geography teacher Mr. Blake, and Ms. Clark, the music teacher, were holding me down while Mr. Taylor babbled into a cell phone, walking beside Kairi's unmoving body.

The corpse man leaned through Mr. Blake. "Let's talk now, shall we? You can't move, so..."

I trashed, kicking at the corpse man, trying to pull away from the teachers. They only held me tighter, squeezing my hands. Pain stabbed through me.

"Can't you see him? He's right there! He attacked Kairi!" I shouted. "Please! Get him away from us!"

But they didn't listen. I continued to struggle but they held me still. I heard a familiar voice but I couldn't locate it. Finally, two men in uniforms hurried through the main door. The first one helped the teachers restrain me while the second one stooped down beside Kairi.

I was staring at her lifeless body as I felt a needle prick. Ice slid through my veins. The lobby started to sway.

"No! You can't do this to me! He can see me. Please, I only…"

The corpse man's voice faded. Everything was swaying. I couldn't…focus…

The pain in my head was sharp, but it lasted only an instant before blackness swallowed me.

The last thing I heard was mother's ringing laughter…

* * *

><p>Hmmm... I see I like cliffhangers. :D Sorry. And I'm saying this again: sorry if there's mistakes, I'm so f*cking tired right now. Why I always update so late?...Stupid me.<p>

Please review! I want to be sure I'm not just wasting my time. I really mean it. This fic is so exhausting. :D


	4. Strangers in Death

**Disclaimer: **I do not own nothing.

**A/N: **Go Marly, Dem, Zexy and Axel! :D And sorry for the delay, I got distracted – by Kuroshitsuji. Gawd I luv Undertaker~! XD I have a weakness for crazy guys like him.

**Chapter song: **Sound the bugle by Bryan Adams (This song fits so perfectly to this chapter! Just saying… And I like to think that this is Roxas' theme song in this fic.)

**And **thank you for reviewing! *Hugs*

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Three: Strangers in Death<strong>

– / –

How long I had been awake? Two minutes? Half an hour? Maybe. It was kind of hard to tell.

I was lying still. My head was pounding with a rhythmic pain, like some sort of massive ice-breaker.

Cloud sat on a little chair close beside my hospital bed, holding my right hand. I was trying not to cry, but I could feel the tingling behind my eyelids. "I'm – I am not crazy, Cloud." I finally said. "I know what I saw! The corpse man attacked Kairi and I just tried to protect her!"

"Of course Roxas, don't worry. You're safe. You're both safe now."

"My head hurts." I reached up and felt the place on my head that was sore, and my fingers found the prick of stitches.

"Yeah, when they stunned you with a needle you fell so quickly that they didn't have time to catch you before you hit the floor. You're heavier than they thought," Cloud said, smiling a little.

"Oh, so I'm short **and **heavy. Great."

Cloud sighed, rubbing the back of my hand gently. "You know that was not what I meant."

"Sorry," I said, rubbing my left hand over the covers. "I just…I'm scared, big brother. I don't wanna leave."

Oblivion, a group home for disturbed teens. There Cloud was going to send me. Because I was crazy.

"Rox." Cloud's hand clenched around mine. "I'm sorry – but you struggled with teachers. You need help."

So of course he was sending me to Oblivion. 'Cause it was a home for crazy teens.

– / –

The next time I woke up, Sora was sitting beside me in my bed. His tears were brimming in his eyes and running down his face, flowing silently. "Sora?"

"Oh God, Rox." He shifted to face me. "Are you okay? I was so worried. I saw you screaming and kicking the teachers on the lobby and then these men in uniforms came– "

"Wait!" I interrupted Sora's rambling. "You – You saw it? You were there?" Then I remembered. When I had struggled, I had heard a familiar voice. "You were the one who shouted to me," I stated aloud.

"Yeah," Sora smiled sadly. "I was standing next to Hayner. He's really worried about you, too, by the way. As well are Olette and Pence."

"Oh, brilliant! So the whole school saw?"

"Not everyone... But you know, you were in the lobby and cafeteria is quite close..."

I groaned. So now almost everyone knew that I was crazy. Maybe it was a good thing that Cloud was going to send me to a group home. 'Cause even if they let me return to school, I didn't think I'd ever have the guts to go back. After all, they probably thought that **I** attacked Kairi–

Kairi. Her unmoving body lying on the cold floor. "Sora… How's Kairi? Is she – Is she alright?" I stared Sora, scared. Cloud hadn't told me anything about her condition, even when I'd asked. I wasn't even sure if she was alive. "Sora?"

"She's…" Sora looked like he was going to start crying again. "She's alive. That's all I know. I tried to go look her before I came here…but…"

"They didn't let you see her." I finished for him. So at least she wasn't dead. That was good news…right?

"Oh but Rox, Cloud said he's going to send you away so you can get help!" Sora said, blue eyes shining, changing the topic. "I don't want you to go! You're my baby brother and I love you! Cloud can't send you away, just can't!"

I felt my own tears starting to flow. "I-I love you too, Sor." It didn't matter how annoying Sora was able to be sometimes, all that mattered was how precious he and Cloud were to me. They were my family. With them I felt I was safe. I loved them so much that it hurt. I didn't want to go; because it meant I was going to leave them behind. Or they were going to leave me behind. "Don't be angry at Cloud, he's just thinking what's best for us. Best for me." My words would probably have been more powerful if my voice hadn't broken in the end.

"Shhh, please don't cry Baby Blue. Don't mind me; everything's going to be okay, you'll see. Go back to sleep. When you wake up tomorrow, I'm gonna be here, promise." Baby Blue. My Mom used to call me in that nickname before…well…she 'left'.

With Sora smoothing my hair with his right hand, I fell asleep.

– / –

I woke up several times that night. The third time, Cloud was standing his back toward me, watching out of the window. The fourth, he and Sora were sitting beside my bed (well, Cloud was sitting and Sora was sleeping). When Cloud saw my eyes open, he reached over and squeezed my hand. "It's going to be okay," he murmured. "Everything will be all right."

I fell back to dreamless sleep.

– / –

Cloud was still sitting beside my bed the next morning. His eyes were blank, clothes wrinkled and he looked older than ever.

"Where's Sora?" I asked as I sat up.

"At school." Cloud watched me closely. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," I lied. So Sora wasn't beside my bed like he had promised. I was not surprised. Cloud smoothed nervously his jeans, lowering his gaze on his own lap. "So, I'll drive you to Oblivion tomorrow. I know you don't get along with people easily, but the place itself is small and private so there shouldn't be many patients. Month goes quickly, you'll see."

Why they kept saying that? 'You'll see'. Maybe I didn't want to 'see'.

"Hey, buddy, look at me."

My tearful eyes met with Cloud's. He gave me a small smile. "I love you. Sora loves you. You'll be alright, I promise."

"Cloud– " I swallowed. Cloud didn't usually show his emotions.

"Don't make promises you can't keep," I finally whispered.

– / –

_Sound the bugle now... play it just for me_

_As the seasons change... remember how I used to be_

_Now I can't go on... I can't even start_

_I've got nothing left... just an empty heart._

It was raining hard. Cloud hummed to himself, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. I knew he just tried to be positive for my sake, even though it was raining.

_I'm a soldier... wounded so I must give up the fight_

_There's nothing more for me... lead me away_

_Or leave me lying here._

I listened my new MP3, trying to block the sorrow out of my mind. They'd given me some medicine before I left the hospital and it made me sleepy.

_Sound the bugle now... tell them I don't care_

_There's not a road I know that leads to anywhere_

_Without a light, I fear that I will stumble in the dark_

_Lay right down and decide not to go on. _

I was thankful to the medicines…Thanks to them I had slept well in the hospital. No nightmares.

Finally, after three hours of driving, we arrived to Oblivion. It was a huge, gray-colored Victorian house. It was so big, that it could have been a castle. So that was what Cloud called 'small and private'. Private? Yes. Small? No.

The rain had already stopped when I stepped out of Cloud's car. Evening fog blanketed the world in gray as I stared the house. We had passed many small towns on our way to Oblivion, but none of them were very close; and despite the hillside views and the thick forests, nobody had built a house nearby.

Well, I couldn't blame anyone for not wanting to be near Oblivion; it was a home for crazy teens, after all.

A tall, beautiful black haired woman with a narrow face was coming toward us. Something about her got me on my toes. When she reached us, I noticed how cold her eyes were. Even her smile was cold. "Welcome to the Oblivion. My name is Mrs. Rose, and you must be Mr. Strife and Young Mister Strife, am I right?"

Lovely, even the staff was from a different era.

Cloud smiled politely at Mrs. Rose. "Yes, Mrs. Rose. I'm Cloud and this is my little brother Roxas." He squeezed my shoulder gently. "He'll be your patient."

That made Mrs. Rose to turn her cold black eyes on me. "Yes, of course. We're going to take good care of the Young Mister Strife, please do not worry Mr. Strife."

Cloud turned to look at me as well. "Rox, be safe, okay? Don't do anything stupid. Trust me; the time will go faster than you think." I hugged him quickly, pretending not to see the tears in his eyes.

And then he left. Leaving me with Mrs. Rose.

She guided me up a long narrow flight of stairs, talking about something my fuzzy brain couldn't follow. We didn't meet anyone else, even though I kept peeking nervously around, expecting someone to jump over me from the darkness that surrounded us. Mrs. Rose showed me my bedroom; three white and one light green wall, decorated with bunch of flowers, faint aroma of cinnamon and roses floating in the air.

On the other side of the room, there was a metallic bed with light pink sheets. The walls over the bed decorated with pages ripped from gardening magazines. The dresser was covered with some tubes and bottles.

My side of the room was a sterile mirror image – same bed and same dresser. But only wiped clean of personality.

"You can decorate your side whatever you want." Mrs. Rose turned her head towards my new roommate's side, scowling. "But please, Young Mister Strife, do not follow your roommate's examples." And with that, she left.

_Then from on high, somewhere in the distance there's a voice that calls,_

_Remember who you are... if you lose yourself, _

_Your courage soon will follow,_

_So be strong tonight... remember who you are_

I crawled at my new bed. The room was quite dark, even though I could see the moon in the sky from the little window. I closed my eyes and fell asleep in seconds.

_Yeah, you're soldier now,_

_Fighting in a battle,_

_To be free once more._

_Yeah, that's worth fighting for._

– / –

When I woke up I saw a tall boy with feminine features flipping through clothes that I was pretty sure were mine. His blue eyes seemed concentrated and he was apparently eating his own pale-pink lower lip as he stared at my T-shirt.

"Umm…Hello?" I said.

He turned and smiled. "Oh good morning, cupcake. Your clothes are –how should I put it– _extraordinary_! Little bit of punk and little touch of emo-ness."

"Uh, thanks?" Oh my God, my first encounter with a crazy teen, and he was calling me 'cupcake'. What was he, a food maniac? Or even worse, a hippie?

He just kept smiling. "I'm Marluxia. Marluxia Fulmer. But you can call me Marly; everyone else does. Well, except Maleficent. She **really** hates me."

"Roxas Strife. And sorry, who's Maleficent?"

"Oh, that's our nickname to Mrs. Rose. You know _Sleeping Beauty_? Well, Mrs. Rose and Maleficent are really similar, you'll see!"

Okay, that didn't sound too good. I knew Maleficent; she was the _Disney_ villain number one.

Marluxia – I mean, Marly, continued talking, but I didn't hear it because all I could think was, what **really** was wrong with him? If Oblivion was a home for crazy teens, there was something wrong with him. He didn't look crazy, any other that he had called me 'cupcake', but that wasn't sign of mental illness – that just told me that he wanted to eat me.

And Marly didn't look crazy. His ruffled rose pink shoulder-length hair was brushed into a loose ponytail, and he wore a light blue jeans and a green T-shirt with pink flower patterns in front. If I didn't know better, I'd think I'd woken up in a boarding school.

But he kept talking. Maybe that was a sign.

I really wished that it wasn't.

But if it was, then, maybe it was a good thing. He couldn't kill me with his words, now could he?

Hope not.

"Are you hungry? I bet you are – besides, breakfast is in ten minutes, and they don't like it at all if you're late, trust me." Marly tapped his nose. "You can wear the clothes you're wearing now, no one cares. The girls eat lunch and dinner with us, but they have breakfast before, so they're already eaten."

"Girls?"

"Yup. Naminé, Larxene and the newcomer, Kairi."

I almost choked. "K-kairi?"

Marly hummed. "She came yesterday. Apparently she was hospitalized couple days ago and her doctor ordered her to rest, so her brother sent her here."

_Oh, my God. Someone shoot me. Someone please shoot me._

Marly walked out the door and I followed after him, still terrified. So Kairi was here too. Great.

Marly kept up talking as we headed downstairs; he told me more about Mrs. Rose (aka Maleficent) and how horrible she was. He also mentioned two other "nurses", Miss Jasmine, who apparently was the youngest one and pretty nice, and Mrs. Blackbird (aka Hydra), who was, Marly whispered, not so nice. But Mrs. Blackbird worked only on weekends, giving Mrs. Rose and Miss Jasmine each a day off. They all lived in Oblivion and looked after us.

At the bottom of the stairs, I noticed that the walls of the lobby were painted in same pale green color as our room. The living room next to the lobby was like my Grandmother's; clean, old stylish and…well…**old**. Two wooden rocking chairs, little coffee table, brown sofa and fireplace. Every table held a vase of different flowers. It all looked, well, _normal_. But maybe that was the point; making you forget this house was a place for disturbed teens.

Marly stopped me outside the kitchen so we could peek in.

First thing I saw was a green-eyed boy with an odd dirty-blond mullet-like styled hair. Several individual bangs had fallen over his face. He was standing middle of the kitchen, apparently shouting to someone.

"…It's true! My biological clock is ticking and you're mean, Axel!"

"Dem, you're a man for the love of – YOU DON'T HAVE A BIOLOGICAL CLOCK!"

"Yeah-duh!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"You're both being immature right now."

On one side of the little wooden table sat a boy with steel-blue hair, his messy bangs completely covering the right side of his face, reaching about an inch or two past his chin. He had a book open before him on the table, but he wasn't reading it at the moment. "That's Zexion. He's cool, but little moody, so make yourself a favor and don't mess with him." Marly nodded his head toward the standing mullet-like hair boy. "That's Demyx. He's little…how you would say it…bipolar. But he's really nice, especially to cute guys like you." Then he jerked his chin toward the other person at the table – one I couldn't see very well from the door. "And the redhead is Axel. He has this 'thing' for fire."

Oh my God, was he a pyromaniac? If he had 'thing' for fire, did that mean he _set _fires? I was so ready to run away.

"Come on, cupcake. Let me introduce you."

…_I've got you, Little One…_

* * *

><p>My, my, ain't I evil? ;D But you can't claim that Axel wasn't in this chapter!<p>

Oh, and one thing: please if you follow this story, could you please leave a comment that says "hey" or just something simple like that? It doesn't have to be a huge review, I'm just curious as to how many people I'm trying to please. XD But it's not that I don't luv you who favorite(d) this story, it just would be nice to hear something from you.

Reviews make me write/update faster. Just saying…

And of course, you can tell me if there are mistakes. 'Cause English is not my native language, it's just natural that I make mistakes. Besides, no one's perfect. XD Like my T-shirt says: **I know I'm not perfect but I'm so close it scares me!** *Laughs* God I love that T-shirt. :D

Also one question for you: do you want short chapters and faster updates or longer chapters and not-so-fast updates? :D They're both fine with me, I just want to know what you guys want. And when I say 'shorter' I mean this chapter lenght. 'Longer' means longer than this chappy.


	5. Alone in Death

**Disclaimer:** Wasn't mine, isn't mine, and will never be mine. *Sighs* Pity…

**Warning: **Umm, beware of the ghost with a pale green hair! Just warning you… he's a bit mad! :D

**A/N: **Hi again! :D Sorry for the delay – I've been really busy lately. I unfortunately have to attend that bothersome thing you some may call school. And teachers have noticed how much fun is to give us lots of assignments. *Pouts*

**Chapter songs: **Skyscraper by Demi Lovato **and **Aha! by Imogen Heap (Glyn's theme – kind of)

**P.S.** I was wondering…what kind of side pairings you guys want? Suggestions will be received! :)

And **thanks to everyone **who reviewed or/and stroked my ego. XD If I could, I would hug all of you.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four: Alone in Death<strong>

– / –

As Marly and I stepped into the kitchen, Demyx turned to face us.

"Maaarlyyy! Axel's shouting at me! Make him stop!" He whined, jumping into Marly's arms. "I found a cute little kitty outside the front door and he was so wet and hungry-looking that I felt sorry for him so I took him inside and put him in our room! But when Axel saw him he started screaming at me and now he says that I have to kick the kitty out of the house." Seriously, did he breathe at all when he said all that?

"Dem you idiot, I'm shouting to you only 'cause y'know that I'm **allergic** to cats, and yet you brought one to our room! Do you wanna kill me or something?"

The redhead, Axel, who I hadn't really seen properly from the door, was really tall. Even while sitting, he was almost longer than I was standing. The fact made me feel unsure.

"Nah Axel, one kitty here or there doesn't kill you!" Demyx chirped, turning back to face Axel. "Glitter is a really cute and well-behaved cat."

"Oh so now that thing has a name? And what kind of name 'Glitter' is for a male cat, anyway? Is it gay or something?"

Demyx threw up his hands, scowling. "I can't believe ya Ax! First of all, it's not it, it's **he**. Secondly I've always wanted a kitty and because I like shiny things I decided that Glitter is a cute name for him."

When Demyx and Axel kept arguing I had good opportunity to look Axel better. He had a thick, shoulder-length bright red hair, his eyes were a bright emerald color and he had a teardrop shaped tattoos under each eye. He was wearing a pair of light blue jeans and a black, long-sleeved V-neck shirt to cover up his upper body. In his feet he had black cowboy boots. Flat-heeled, pointy tipped, black _cowboy boots. _He didn't look crazy. But then again, I didn't really look crazy either, and I saw dead people.

"Hello. You are the new guy, right?"

The question surprised me. When I had stared Axel, Zexion had lost his interest of the fight, and was in turn staring at me on his one visible eye. I just stared back at him, mouth open. Luckily, Marly answered for me.

"Yes, this is my new roommate, Roxas. Isn't he cute? He reminds me of my German shepherd puppy, Mozart."

I take my words back. It wasn't lucky that he answered for me. Not at all. He thought that I looked like his dog? No wonder he was so nice to me.

But Zexion just smiled at me calmly. Maybe he was used to Marly's comments. "Well, Roxas, welcome to your new "home". I'm sorry for these three; they're all idiots. Some more than others." Zexion nodded his head toward Axel and Demyx, who were now looking at me, interested.

"I didn't see ya there." Demyx was the first to respond. "I'm Demyx. Nice to meet ya, Roxas!" And then he shocked me with a big hello hug, reminding me of a cute little puppy with his big, emotional eyes and his smiling, little round, face.

"Likewise," I muttered, little confused about his mood swings. So that was what Marly had meant. His mood moved like a rollercoaster.

Demyx beamed at me. "Awww you're cutie! How old are you, little one?"

_I won't hurt you. Come out, come out Little One…_

Panic swept over me. I couldn't breathe well. My hands started to sweat. _Little One… _Where had I heard it before?

_Come out; come out, wherever you are… No sense of hiding…I'll always find you in the end…_

"Roxas?"

I looked up to find Marly studying me with a concerned expression and realized that he had probably been trying to get my attention while I had been panicking inside my head. "Are you okay?"

"I – Yes. I'm alright," I answered after a moment. _Liar._

Marly smiled, relieved. "Good. I was afraid Demyx broke you somehow."

"Hey!" Demyx pouted. "It was a simple question." Zexion rolled his left eye, turning his attention to the book on the table. Axel just grinned. "Y'know Dem, you can't ask lady her age."

_Lady? _

"I'm not a girl!" I scowled, blushing. "And for your information, I'm sixteen."

Demyx whistled and grinned mischievously. "Wow, this little kitty has claws. He's cute **and** spicy. Hope you're not allergic to this cat, Axel."

Axel rolled his eyes. "No Dem – He's not a cat. He's more like…a canary. A little yellow canary." Axel's emerald eyes locked to my blue ones. "Trapped inside his cage, trying to be free so he could fly in the sky again."

Mrs. Rose came through the kitchen door before I could ask Axel what he meant by that. She smiled her cold smile. "Take your pills, everyone."

I watched as she gave them all their pills, and then watched as they took them. It was creepy. No one said a word, not even Demyx, just held their hands, and swallowed their pill down dry.

Mrs. Rose didn't give me a pill; because I hadn't seen my doctor yet, she explained.

After we'd eaten (eggs, toast and cereal), we all walked together back to our rooms. Zexion was in the lead, followed by Demyx and Axel. Marly and I were the last ones.

"I'll come to your room later. I'll just finish this book first," Zexion stated to Axel and Demyx, as we reached top of the stairs. "Please try not to kill each other."

"Scouts honor!" Demyx put hand over his heart.

"You've never been a scout, Dem," Axel said.

Zexion sighed and disappeared down the hall. Demyx looked after him, dreamy look in his eyes. "He loves me. I know he does."

"Dem, are you, by any chance, drunk?" Axel asked him. "Because if that's love, I'm Mickey Mouse."

Demyx shot a scowl to him, and then turned to face me. As he turned, something flashed between us, and I stumbled back, trying to get support from the wall.

"Oh, sorry. Did I scare you?" Demyx asked.

Over his shoulder, next to Axel, a man appeared. He had an amazingly golden yellow eyes and pale green hair, which was short on the left side and a little past his shoulder on the right side. His jaw was strong and sharp, and he had a solid, lean body.

"Roxas?" Demyx said.

"I – I…" I tried to peel my gaze from the mysterious man. "I tripped, sorry."

The pale-haired man just smirked, adjusted his white-framed glasses and winked at me. _"Oh, really?"_

Marly laid his hand on my shoulder. "You're a little white. Maybe you're getting sick."

"N-no…I'm okay, seriously. I just…I thought I heard something."

_"Good excuse_~_"_ The man's voice suddenly whispered in my ear. As I winced, Axel smirked. "He's a little skittish, I see."

"Boys?" Mrs. Rose peered around the hall doorway below. "Could you stop fooling around and go to your rooms? Class is in fifteen minutes. Young Mister Strife, you won't attend in class today. When you're properly dressed, we shall discuss your schedule."

– / –

I was sitting on my bed, leaning against the wall. Marly had gone to his class, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Just moment before Mrs. Rose had given me my new schedule. Apparently we rose at 7:15, breakfast started 8:00 and we were in class by 9:00. We studied independently, but Mr. Walker tutored us. Break at 11:00 for a nutritious snack. Then 11:30 back to class. Lunch at 1:00. Back to class from 1:45 until 4:00, with a little break at 2:15. Lunch would be 5:00, and supper 7:00. Also each of us had therapy session with Dr. Hill; my first would be after lunch. We had to be bed at 9:00 and lights went out at 10:00.

So now I had nine o'clock bedtime and nutritious snacks. Lucky me.

Boarding school was starting to sound good.

And I wasn't really alone with my thoughts. No, the pale-green haired weirdo was dancing circles front of me, middle of our room. And apparently, he had a lot of fun.

_"Hey Roxy, why wouldn't you stop keeping that stupid wall company and try this too? This is sooo fun! Come on__~!__" _

"No thank you," I muttered, under my breath and coughed a little to gain his attention. "Are you, by any chance, dead?"

The question made him stop dancing. He turned his head toward me, grinning. _"Oooh, not at all subtle, are you Roxy? Not that I mind, though. But seriously, do I look like living to you?" _

"You didn't answer my question."

_"No I did not. I can't help myself; you're just too fun to play with." _He flipped his green hair out of his right shoulder. _"But yes, I am indeed dead. Ghost, actually. Satisfied?" _

"Not really." I raised my hands to rub at each temple. "What's your name?"

The ghost smiled creepily. _"What is your name?" _

I scowled. "Seriously, do you always answer question with a question?" The green haired ghost just chuckled. _"I don't know, do I?"_

"Oh Jesus." I needed to calm down, so I started to count ten.

Slowly.

Backwards.

In Latin.

"You already know my name. I'm the one who doesn't know yours. So, your name is?" I finally said.

The ghost started to hum, eyes sparkling. _"Guess." _

With a sigh, I let my eyes close, and then dug the heels of my hands into them, pressing down so that I saw red. I took deep breaths, one after another, until I felt like I could handle the situation better. I opened my eyes slowly, staring at the ghost more closely.

The ghost wore a simple white dress shirt with a pale-green bow, a long pale green coat, which he wore around his elbows and in his feet he had a high-heeled ankle boots. The ensemble looked old-fashioned, and that gave me the impression that the ghost had been dead for some time now. His hair color was the same as the color of the most walls of Oblivion. "I have a hunch that you and this house have something to do with each other. Am I right?"

The ghost grinned. _"Very good. Very good, indeed. I and this house have a quite history together. After all, I am Glyn Les Oblivion, the former Master of this house." _After saying his name, he made a wide gesture with his left hand and bowed to me, still grinning widely. _"But you can call me Master Glyn, or sir, Roxy."_

– / –

I lay in the dark, trying to fall asleep, but my mind kept racing, refusing to let me rest. Our room wall's pale green color seemed to mock me and only voice I could hear was Marly's soft snoring. I wondered if a few days of pale green paint and flowers would turn me into a happy, cheerful zombie, like Marly.

I felt a pang of shame. Marly had made me feel welcome and here I was, lying on my bed, mocking him, because I felt so bad myself. I was a horrible, terrible person.

I sniffed suddenly, eyes hurting. Oblivion wasn't so bad, really. I just…It was me. I felt like nothing was real; like everything were only a façade. An illusion of a normal home.

I swallowed painfully. What Glyn had said earlier bothered me. After he had bowed to me, he'd just vanished. I hadn't have time to react his words. So he was the formal Master of Oblivion. Obliviously he had died a long time ago, but his ghost had remained. But why didn't he leave? Why he didn't even go to the Land of Dead, a place where dead souls that didn't cross over, stayed? Why he'd stayed in Oblivion? Why I saw dead people, ghosts? _Why, why, WHY? _

So many questions and no answers.

Holding onto the edge of the covers, I waited for anger to sweep over me. I wanted to feel something – not that terrible emptiness I had felt in hospital when Cloud had looked me in the eyes, saying that he was going to send me away, 'cause I was broken, not repairable. But no anger came. Instead, a wave of sorrow coupled with helplessness bore down on me.

_No, I won't cry! I've cried too much already, I have to get a grip! _

My mind screamed at me, but my emotions wouldn't listen. I just couldn't stop tears running silently down my face. I sat up, wrapping my arms around my knees and buried my head in the crook of my left arm. My eyes were burning and I'd never felt so lonely and miserable. No one cared for me. I was all alone. No one would ever love me, want me. I was a horrible person. _Horrible, horrible, HORRIBLE!_

_This is it, I'm finally going crazy. Good thing that I've already earned a one-way ticket to Oblivion, a group home for disturbed teens. 'Cause here I am, crying myself to death. _

I could feel my tears dampen the sleeve of my shirt as my whole body shook with sobs. Maybe I really would drown in my own tears.

"Cupcake? Cupc– I mean, Roxas, what's wrong?"

I looked up, only to see through the glaze of tears a pink form standing next to my bed. Then I felt a gentle hand touch the back of my neck and a cloth swiping over my face, wiping my tears away.

"Shhhh, don't cry. I know how you feel – I felt the same way when I first came here four months ago. But this place isn't so bad when you get to know it better, you'll see! Please stop crying!" Marly hushed, holding the pink handkerchief over my nose. "Blow."

I did so, looking at Marly. "Sorry, I don't know what hit me. Maybe I'm just too stressed…"

Marly gave me a big smile. "Don't worry so much, cupcake! Good thing I woke up your sobbing, otherwise you would have cried all alone."

"Thanks Marly. Thank you really," I barely whispered.

"No problem! Just go back to sleep and tomorrow you'll feel much better, I promise!" Marly took his hand away and plumped up my two pillows before pushing me back on them. "Good night, cupcake."

"G'night, Marly."

I snuggled deeper into the bed. I felt my eyes slowly close. Sometime later, I thought I heard the door open to our room and I was sure that someone was standing over my bed and tucking the covers around my shoulder, but I wasn't sure whether I was dreaming or not.

"_I've got you, Little One."_

* * *

><p>I hope you don't dislike my OC Glyn too much; he's kind of important character in this story. Sorry that this chapter was more about him and Roxas' inner turmoil, and not so much AkuRoku. It's partly because I don't believe 'oh he's so hot, we have to make out right now' - kind of Roxas. XD And I needed to introduce Glyn to you, and I thought this chapter was good for it. I, myself, like Glyn 'cause he's a little crazy and well, I've always had a soft spot for crazy, sexy guys. :D<p>

I hope there weren't too much mistakes; I seriously don't have much free time now, so I just glanced this chapter through. If you notice mistakes, well, it would be really nice for you to tell me so I can fix them later when I have time. Thank you.

So you all know what to do: review! :D And if you have any questions, feel free to ask me! I'll try to answer!

**P.S.** I think Imogen Heap's song Aha! is scary… But I just love her singing voice~! I can see through the eyes of my soul how Glyn sneaks around the mansion (Oblivion, duh) giggling and scaring young innocent children, knowing all their secrets.


End file.
